The basic home theater setup is a large television, a source of
video, such as a VCR or a DVD player, an audiovisual receiver, and
at least five speakers, plus a subwoofer. "It reproduces all the
rumble, action, and dinosaur footsteps," says Rick Jensen, owner of
Custom Technologies Inc., a home theater consulting and
installation firm based in West Hartford, Connecticut.
On the bargain basement level, a handful of manufacturers offer
home theater packages - usually five speakers, a receiver, and a
DVD-CD player - for as low as $500. For those with a room to spare
and a little over $5,000 to burn, incredible adventures in sight
and sound await. "The general public's equipment has really come
down in price, and there are a lot of options within a
manufacturer's line," Jensen says.
If you plan to bring home theater to your place, don't think that
you have to throw out your existing system. If you bought your
stereo system and VCR in the last couple of years, there's a good
chance that it's already set to become part of your new system. But
if you want to spring for a complete home theater package, Wilson
recommends allotting half of your budget to the picture and half to
the audio equipment. For an optimal viewing experience, you'll also
want to invest in heavy curtains, remote control light dimmers, and
comfortable furniture.
SCREENS
When it comes to improved quality, image is far behind sound, for
the moment. The much-discussed
HDTV is just around the corner, yet
there are still a few years to go before all television is
high-definition. Today, broadcast stations in the major markets
have just a few hours of programming in HDTV, and the larger-screen
high-quality televisions are still on the expensive side. Plasma
screen TVs and rear projection sets are sure to stretch most
budgets. For that reason, traditional tube televisions still offer
the best picture for the money.
Sony's Trinitron WEGAs are
available in sizes up to 36 inches so that you'll be ready when the
broadcasters catch up with the TV makers.